The President's Reporf-by Woyne F. MUttlN ..YOUR ASSOCIATION

'1'he strength of an association such as <>urs deper-rds greatly on its members having full knowledge of its activities and objectives. If such a factual report is made from time to time, then you, the supporters t-rf the association rvill have more confidence in the ability of the Organization to serve you. It is the dutv of the president to be {actual and forthright and to tell the members what their association is doing, its orofit and loss, its financial statement, its membership and, above all, its objectivespast and {uture. Knou.ledge is power and so we u'ant this association to have more po\ver-power to influence legislation-and power to help the members raise the level of prosperity r,l'ithin the industry*to make money for the membership.

At times, the cluestion arises-"Why should u'e have an Association ?" Within the United States there are some 15,000 sawmills and 25,000 luml;er yards. Together, those sarvmills and lumber yards have produced and distributecl enough lumber to build a boardwalk six feet wide from the earth to the moon. Our industry is a big industry. It also is a romantic business. Almost every man is interested

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in our product, for it is inborn in every man who likes the out-of-doors to like the looks and smell of wood, whether it be in the forest, the lumberyard, or the home workshop. You and I are lucky to be in this business-and perhaps if some of us do not like our business, we should get out-for there are too many of us now !

So rve have in the United States, 25,000 reasons for having lumber associations. And because we number 25,000, rve have in Washington an organization to represent usto act as the r.vatchdog of our industry-to see that the federal government does not harm us unnecessarily. This organization is the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association. You belong to it because your dues to this association pay per year membership in the National. The national association is composed of all the regional lumber associations in the United States. It tackles problems too u'ide in scope for the local groups.

In Southern California, we have the SCRLA. As of April l, we had 377 members-Z78 active lumberyards and 99 suppliers to those yards, who are associate members. The membership of this association probably does well over 90o/u of the lumber business in Southern California.

Now n'hat does our association do? We have 22 directors rvho from now on will be elected from the various areas on an annual basis. During this year we have formed 12 vety active committees rvho have been dealing with the prob-